Life After Remnant
by kitsuneLovers94
Summary: She wanted to save him but he wouldn't let her. Now in a new world, the both of them move to start a new life. A new beginning and a happier end was now in their hands. (Chapter Rewrite is up!)
1. Prologue 1

**Authors Note:**

**I promised a rewrite and I'm going to give you a rewrite. Welcome readers both new and old! I present to you the new rendition of Life After Remnant!**

**For those of you who don't know, this story was on hiatus for about a year. When I came back and read through my story I found plot holes so large I couldn't even see the end of it. So like any author who doesn't want to see his idea go to waste, I decided to rework it all.**

**There was a pole set up on my acount to determine the direction of the new LAR and here is the winner: Option A (Life Romance)**

**A bit of a warning to you guys. This story has a slow pacing so bare with me for a few chapters before we get into the nit and grit of things. This means it will be a while till we get to Canon timeline. That being said I hope you all will enjoy what I cooked up for you!**

**Time of story: 1 year before RWBY Volume 1**

**Age:**

**Shu: 17-18**

**Inori: 16-17**

**Ruby: 14-15**

**Weiss, Blake and Yang: 16-17**

* * *

**Prologue 1: Rebirth**

"Take it…"

Shu stared at her for what felt like the longest time. It was just the two of them, floating seamlessly in the white space between reality and the unexplained. It felt like a life time ago since they last saw each other. Back then he had been his weakest. Distraught and utterly hopeless after being betrayed by the people he had helped escape and the ones he considered friends. The only one who hadn't left him… was her.

This was the girl who had stayed by his side,

The one who changed his life,

The girl he loved,

Yuzuriha Inori.

Shu gazed at the object that she was offering him, a cat's cradle. He could feel the power coming off of it… the _life_ radiating from it. The brunet knew that something was wrong about the whole situation. He was just moments away from dying. His body had been fully consumed by the Apocalypse Virus he was ridding the world of. He had been ready to die with the girl he failed to save.

Inori wasn't offering a simple string… she was offering her soul.

"Take it, Shu… Please…"

Again she offered… no, pleaded him to take it. Shu could see it in her eyes, the kindness that was shown and the regret that was hidden.

She wanted to let him live while she died in his place.

Well he wouldn't have it. He had sacrificed everything to save her. He had killed his best friend and sister for the second time just to be with her. He only wanted one thing in this cruel world… her, and only her.

He would rather die than live on without her.

The guilty king raised his arms, ignored the cat's cradle and pulled his red queen into a tight embrace. Inori stilled in shock, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Shu… _Why?"_

"… I'll take it… I'll take it all! I'm done with giving… done with sacrificing everything for the world… but not you. I won't let anything take you away from me!

You are the love of my life…

Everything I have and everything I am…

Is yours forever."

Inori trembled and was brought to tears by his words. The red string had come undone as she flung her arms around him. The two ill-fated lovers held each other for the longest time. They brought their heads closer together; forehead to forehead, nose to nose, and their lips only a breath apart.

"_Shu... I will always love you…"_

"_And I will always love you, Inori… In this life, and the next."_

Then, their lips met.

The kiss was soft, passionate, and filled with as much love as the both of them could muster, as if it was their last.

Then everything went white.

* * *

Deep red eyes slowly cracked open to a world of water. His eyes gradually adjusted to see through the warm, pale green liquid. A large room filled with all kind of electronic machines and contraptions greeted him. It looked like he was in some kind of laboratory. His right arm moved forward only to be hindered by a wall of glass. It was only then that he noticed the situation he was in. He was floating in some kind of container, naked as the day he was born. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face, supplying the much needed air to breath. Wires were strapped all over his body, probably used to monitor his state of person.

Am I the only one here?

It was then that Shu noticed there was another container right beside his own. He focused to see who or what was his captive partner. It was a person, a female to be more precise. She was petite in size, slender in shape, and her hair was about an average length. Most of her face was covered by an oxygen mask similar to his own and the opaque liquid of her container was making it hard for him to discern her features.

If only I can get a closer look.

He pressed his face to the glass to get a better look. He didn't know why but she felt really familiar to him.

I know you. I _know_ you. I just need to see your fa-

His thoughts stopped dead in its tracks as his mind registered her face. Though it wasn't clear, he would have recognized her in a heartbeat. How could he not?

It was Inori.

Yuzuriha Inori.

The girl he loved.

She was alive.

And she was being held _captive_.

What did they _do_ to her!?

His blood felt like it was boiling over as his thoughts were consumed by the prospect of Inori being toyed around and experimented on. His hands clenched tight as his vision flashed an angry red.

Let me out.

LET ME OUT!

His hands were already slamming the protective glass of his container. Cracks started to appear on the glass as hit after hit wore it down. Shu reeled back his right arm and roared in his anger as he struck it once more with all his might. His crystal arm punched right through the glass and shattered it on impact, causing the warm liquid from the vat to burst out. Shu was abruptly pushed out of the tank due to the change in pressure, the wires taped to his body and the gasmask coming undone as well. Shu gasped, coughed and wheezed as he shook away the excess liquid that clung to his face. He shivered as the air in the lab was extremely cold. He looked about blurrily before his eyes landed on the other tank in the room.

"Inori!"

He quickly got up on shaky legs and hobbled up to her glass prison. His feet were cut from the stray sharp pieces of glass on the floor but he didn't let it bother him. His mind was too preoccupied on Inori who was only a small distance away. He stopped inches away from her container, his hands laid on the glass panel. Unshed tears prickled the edges of his eyes as he stared up at her floating form.

"Inori… Don't worry; I'll get you out of there."

Shu brought back his right arm and punched the glass. Hairline cracks appeared on the damaged glass, which grew bigger and bigger as he repeatedly punched it. The glass gave way soon enough. Pale green liquid burst forward, pushing him roughly back to the floor. As he wiped his face clean, his eyes landed on Inori's prone form. He quickly dragged himself to her side and pulled her up against his body. Shu had almost frozen over in disbelief as he stared down at her beautiful face. His lips and fingers trembled as he caressed and cupped her cheek in his hand. Her breathing was shallow, but it was a good sign that she was alive. His mind was going back and forth from wanting to blank out or break down. Shu closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face.

"God, if this is a dream…. don't let me wake up."

Some of his tears landed on Inori's delicate face. Soft twitches cued her awakening from her disturbed slumber. Slowly, her eyes blinked open. Large, exotic red eyes gazed unfocused at the blurry image before her. Her eyes gradually widened as her confusion transformed to realization and disbelief.

"… S-Shu?"

A startled gasp escaped his throat as he opened his eyes in surprise.

"I-Inori…"

She brought her fingers up to touch his face, as if to reassure herself of his presence.

"Is this a… dream?" she asked.

"No, Inori. I'm right here… we're here… together."

Inori herself started to cry.

"Shu… SHU!"

They pulled each other into a long embrace, both desperate to hold the other. They didn't care about their current state of vulnerability or where they were. They didn't care about how or why they were both alive.

All they cared about is that they were finally together again.

* * *

"Shu, where are we?"

The two reawakened lovers had spent the longest time just holding on to each other after their reunion. The two did not pay any mind that the other was naked as the day they were born, their embarrassment overshadowed by their happiness. It was a long while of just taking in each other's presence and reassuring themselves that this was not a dream. Inori was the first to break the comfortable silence.

"I don't know, Inori. I woke up here only a while ago. I've no clue where we are or what are we doing here."

The large room they were in was deathly quiet and chilly. Computers, lab equipment, papers and tablets were all that he could spot. There wasn't anyone else except for them. Shu would have thought that with all the noise and mess he made in freeing both himself and Inori, at least one person would come by and investigate. Not a single soul came.

"We should look around, Shu."

"Yeah, we won't find anything just sitting here."

Inori made to move seeing that she was on Shu's lap but halted once she finally took in their state of… undress. A heavy blush slowly crept up her cheeks as she struggled to move her eyes from his bare chest. It did not help that the chill in the air made touching his bare warm skin comforting. Shu stared at Inori in confusion as the pink beauty had stilled mere seconds of making to move, and was now glowing a deep red.

"Inori, what's wrong?"

His concerned voice broke her of whatever spell she had succumbed to. Inori quickly turned her body away while covering her supple chest.

"… Nothing."

Shu now sported a worried frown. He placed his hands on her shoulders, slowly caressing her soft skin making her shudder.

"You're shivering. I'll find us something to wear. Don't move."

Inori frowned when she felt his warm presence slowly stand and walk away. His warm touch had sent a delightful, albeit embarrassing shiver down her spine. The blush on her face had subsided but a pout had now developed on her lips.

"… _Bakka." (Stupid)_

Shu, unaware of his love's moment of self-embarrassment, was busy moving between the isles of equipment and tables in the room, trying to find some form of clothing to keep them warm. Fortunately enough there were a few lab coats lying around for him to take. He slid one on before quickly making his way to Inori.

Inori herself was still stewing over how she reacted to her love's touch. She knew that now wasn't really the time to think about such things but the feeling was pleasant… in an embarrassing sort of way. Her thoughts were cut off when something warm was gently placed over her shoulders. She looked up to find Shu softly smiling at her, dressed in a white lab coat similar to the one on herself.

"This was the only thing I could find. It should ward off the cold slightly enough for now."

Inori stood up and moved her arms through the sleeves before buttoning up. She turned back to Shu only to see him trying to cover an oddly satisfied grin behind his hand. Shu himself was trying hard not to let his grin show, but the sight before him was just too adorable. The lab coat Inori was wearing was too large for her petite frame. It covered her like a large dress from shoulder to knees with her arms barely reaching the whole way through the sleeves.

"What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing. W-We should get moving."

Inori gave him a confused tilt of her head which made his heart leap at the sight. He quickly moved towards the large exit doors lest she make his chest explode. He waited for only a moment as Inori caught up to his side before approaching the door. He examined the exit door and frowned when there wasn't a handle or an excess pad to trigger the sliding mechanism to open it. He placed a hand on the metal surface and tried to physically move it but the door didn't budge.

"What's wrong?" asked Inori.

"The door is not moving. Its most probably stuck and I think the sliding mechanism is busted."

"So how can we open it?"

"… Well there's one way."

Shu lifted his right arm, palm open. His face stilled in concentration as he pulled on his powers to act. Voids; the manifestation of a person's heart given form due to the Apocalypse Virus carried by a meteorite that landed in Japan 17 years ago. His own void, the **Kings Heart**, has the ability to store the voids of others, which he can then call upon when needed. There was one void he could call uponthat was perfect for the job of opening things.

"Souta."

His crystal hand glowed with etheric green lines running across the limb. He waited for the **Blunt Key** to form but frowned when it didn't. His frown deepened further when he realized that could not feel any voids in his **King's Heart** arm.

"Shu?"

"I don't have any voids stored in my arm… I remember absorbing everything. The apocalypse virus and all the voids… but I can't feel any other voids at all."

"So then how are we going to open the door?"

"I guess… we'll just have to do it the old fashion way."

Shu took a deep breath as he clenched his right hand into a fist before punching the metal barrier with all his strength. The door dented on hit, leaving a visible mark where his fist landed. Shu took another breath before punching again. The door now visible caved in on itself but slightly. He continued to give it a few more hits before the door finally caved in enough to let out a visible opening on one side. He gripped the opened side and grunted as he forcefully pulled it open.

"Haah… haah… there. That should do it."

"Shu, are you tired?"

"Eheh… just a little."

Shu took a second to catch his breath before motioning Inori to follow him through the gap he made. The second they were through the door the image before him made his eyes widen in surprise. The corridor looked like it came from a horror movie. Bodies were lying about with dried pools and stains of blood scattered across the hallway and walls. Most of the bodies he could see were not even fully intact. There were large claw marks and jagged cuts littering the halls surfaces. The flickering of broken lights made the horrible situation even more ominous.

"What happened here?"

Shu approached one of the corpses littering the floor and inspected it. It was a man and he was missing an arm and a leg with a good portion of his stomach ripped open. There was obvious signs of decay but the cold must have held off the worse of it. Judging by the clothes, it looked like he was a researcher.

"I'm sorry."

Shu said his condolences as he started to go through the dead man's pockets. His rummaging rewarded him with a wallet, a name tag, and a rectangular flat device. The device was coloured white and had a gold diamond button in the center. He curiously pressed the button which prompted the device to split in the middle and extend outwards. A holographic touch screen filled the space in between the two halves, showing an array of images and software.

"It's some sort of tablet."

Shu shuffled through the various commands but found himself lost in all the different prompts that followed. He was going to have to configure this device to sort out its contents.

"Shu, look."

Shu turned to Inori and found her holding out a gun in one hand and a short sword in the other.

"Where'd you get these?"

"I found it near that body over there."

Inori motioned to the mangled corpse of a man in a security outfit. Shu stood up and accepted the short sword from Inori before giving the bloodied and damaged corridor another look.

"What happened to all these people? It's as if someone or something had massacred them."

"Do you think anyone is still alive?"

"I don't think so, Inori. It looks like whatever happened, happened a long while ago. Most probably anyone still alive would have escaped the facility. Is that gun loaded?"

"A few rounds left. No spare clips on the body."

"Then we should find some more. If there's a security force then there has to be a supply room somewhere."

With an objective before them the two went on to find and scavenge any useful supplies they could get their hands on. Shu turned to another body but stopped when he noticed it wasn't human. It was some kind of humanoid robot. Its lower body was missing, leaving stray wires and parts visible from the ripped abdomen. He crouched down near it and slowly reached out to touch it. His fingers were only a hairs breath away before the machine jerked back to life.

"Woah!"

"**Acces-Accessing! Damage! Damage critical!** **Assessing situation!"**

"Wait! Tell me what happened here! Where are we?! What happened here?!"

"**Area scanning complete! Sensors detect grimm presence! 20 meters… 15 meters… 10 meters…"**

"Grimm? What's a-"

"Shu!"

Shu had little time to think as an ominous shadow suddenly appeared above him. He quickly vaulted away as the shadow grew larger and crashed onto where he was a mere second ago. As he righted himself from his narrow escape, his eyes widened at the thing that attacked him.

It was a large creature of some sort, almost twice his size. It was completely black accept for various bone like armor and spikes on parts of its body. The head itself was covered by a bone mask with red markings. Its hands and feet had claws that looked like it could cut him into confetti. As a whole the monster resembled a werewolf from old ghost stories and folklore. It turned its head to his direction and Shu noted the creatures menacing blood red eyes. It gave a bloodthirsty snarl before it started to move towards him. A gunshot rang throughout the corridor and now a bullet wound had appeared on the creature's chest. The monster cried out in pain as it staggered from the shot.

"Shu, move!"

Inori's cry was like a splash of cold water on his face. He quickly stood up and back pedaled away from the monster.

"Shu, are you ok?"

"I'm fine Inori, just a bit-"

He was cut off as the creature suddenly roared and charged at them. Inori let loose two more shots from her gun. The bullets flew and hit their mark on its chest but it paid no heed to its wounds. Shu readied the short sword Inori had given him and charged the monster head on. As he was within striking distance the monster swung its claws at him. He dodged the swipe and swung his blade up in an arc. The cold steel dug into the creature's neck and sliced through it just as easily. It gave a gurgled cry as blood showered from the gaping hole of its neck before it fell forward, dead.

Shu breathed in a few labored breaths before finally calming down. The creatures black blood stained his clothes and hands but he paid it no mind. He turned back to the creature, slowly approached it before giving it a few nudges just to check if it's really dead.

"What is it?"

Shu gave an unsure frown at Inori's question as he tried to come to terms with the creatures menacing looks and feral existence. He turned to look back at the robot that had awakened before, only to frown as the machine was now even more of a wrecked mess because of the monster. What did that thing say before the monster attacked him?

"… The robot said it was a… grimm?"

"Grimm?"

"The robot detected this thing, before it got trampled."

"Did it do all this damage?"

"… Maybe. But it can't be possible that it did all this by itself. I mean we took it down pretty easily. There must have been a whole lot more of them to have caused this much damage and to kill all these people." As Shu hypothesized what could have happened, the dead creature suddenly started to fade away. Its body looked as if it was evaporating into wisps of black and before long the creature dissipated into nothing.

"… It disappeared."

Shu stared at the spot where the monster vanished before noticing that the blood that coated his person was also gone.

"Whatever that creature was, it's not normal."

* * *

Shu stared down at the holographic screen with a contemplating look on his face. He and Inori had been walking for a while now, searching for something they could find that would lead them to a supply room or at least an exit. So far they had only found more rooms with more dead bodies and robots. At least they weren't freezing since they managed to find more lab coats to cover themselves with. They had even found a water dispenser that was thankfully still working to quench their thirst. Thankfully they hadn't bumped into another grimm like the one from before. The two were now huddled next to each other as they took a moment to rest and share some warmth. Shu had taken this time to inspect the device he had pilfered from the dead researcher from before.

"There has to be something…"

"Shu, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if I can find anything that could help us out. So far all I could find are more and more research notes that I could not make any sense of."

"… can I try?"

Shu gave Inori a curious look but didn't hesitate to give her the device. He didn't have high hopes that she could find anything but-

"How about this?"

Shu stared in disbelief as an image of what looked like a map of the facility was shown on the screen.

"Wha-How did you? I…"

"Shu?"

There was an awkward pause before a chuckle left Shu's lips, "… Eheheh, it's nothing. You're a genius, Inori."

Inori tilted her head in confusion but in the end decided to just smile. Shu was praising her, that's what's important. Shu ran through the map and frowned when he found that they were located on one of the lower levels of the facility.

"We're on the 6th floor below ground. If we want to get out of here we need to head upwards. There's a cafeteria on floor 1B so we can find food there. There doesn't seem to be anything on a supply room…"

Shu searched some more until something caught his eye.

"There's a security department and what seems to be an armory inside. It's on the ground floor located just next to the vehicle bay where the exit is. Alright, looks like we finally know where we're headed. There should probably be some proper clothes in the armory for us to where so we'll head there first. After that we'll head down to the cafeteria to get some supplies."

With a plan set and the way now known, the two set off to their first objective. They followed the map and headed to the security department via a fire escape staircase. The six flights of stairs were tiring but they managed just fine. The sight that greeted them on the ground floor however unnerved them to no end.

"How in the world…"

Words couldn't describe how decrypt and hollow the image before him was. The lobby was littered with dead bodies and broken machinery with layers of frost coating the room. It was a harrowing sight. Inori shivered beside him even with the few layers of lab coats keeping her warm.

"It's really cold."

"There must be a draft somewhere. The lower floors weren't as cold as this one. We better get to that armory quick. Some proper clothing will do us good."

They headed down the hallway leading towards their destination but stopped when they noticed something move at the end of the corridor. The two quickly moved behind a corner before peeking their heads out to get a better look at what they saw. Their suspicions were confirmed when they spotted a grimm, similar to the one from before, stalking down the hallway.

"Damn it. Should have known there would be some on this level. They must have gotten in from wherever that draft is coming from."

"What should we do?" Shu looked to Inori and saw her already with pistol in hand. He turned back to the black monster before making his decision.

"… We avoid it. According to the map there's more than one way to the armory. Better stay safe and arm ourselves before we do anything rash. If there's one here then there's probably a few more around as well so it's best to be careful."

Inori nodded in affirmative before the two quietly moved towards another corridor. They moved from one corridor to the next at the same time being careful to avoid any grimm they found in their way. Before long they managed to make it to the front of the security department. Moving towards the armory, they were greeted by rows upon rows of metal lockers. Their search had proved fruitful as inside the metal containers they managed to find weapons, ammo and clothing.

The two wordlessly got to work with getting clothed and ready. Shu pulled off the lab coats he wore and placed on a black under shirt and pants. He placed on a white collared shirt before pulling on a white overcoat with black lining that had a symbol of a light blue snowflake on the back. They had found that same emblem on several locations in the facility. He finally pulled on a pair of thick boots to cover his feet and gloves for his hands. The theme of the outfit was shared with the numerous dead security they found on their way here. He secured the short blade Inori found from before and a pistol to his side.

Finished, he turned to Inori to find her wearing a similar outfit as his own but obviously made a few sizes smaller than his. Inori herself was currently checking the two guns she had pilfered before holstering them to her sides. She noticed his gaze on her and gave him her usual small smile.

"Shu looks nice."

"Not as nice as you."

Shu had to stop himself from slapping his forehead. _How_ could he say such a corny line? His cheeks redden from the embarrassment he sat himself up for. His pink haired companion thankfully didn't think anything of it and was instead glowing at his compliment.

"A-Anyway let's get this bag here filled with ammo and extra clothing before we head to the cafeteria."

It wasn't long before they exited the security department and was about to leave for the food court before they heard several loud growls at the end of the hallway. Three black beasts were now blocking their path and they looked ready to kill. Shu quickly palmed his short blade in his right and pistol in his left.

"I guess we'll have to cut our way through."

As if his words were their cue to act the three beasts rushed at their prey, ready to kill.

"Get ready, Inori."

The clocking of guns was the first thing he heard before Inori voiced her opinion.

"Lock on."

* * *

The journey to the cafeteria was a lot more hectic than initially thought. It seemed that after their visit to the armory the grimm decided to actively search for them instead of just prowling about. They had to cut their way through more than just a few of the beasts before they made it to their destination.

Inori's exotic red eyes stared pointedly at Shu in concern. The brunet couldn't help his cheeks from reddening at the attention.

"It's just a scratch, Inori. Nothing to make a fuss about."

It seemed that was the wrong thing to say as her eyes narrowed even more. In the last encounter, Shu had received a long shallow cut on his cheek. It bled for a bit but thankfully they had found a small medic kit in the cafeteria kitchen. Shu winced as Inori dabbed an alcohol soaked cotton ball against the cut.

"_Gomen (Sorry)_."

"It's fine. It just stings a little."

Shu didn't say it out loud but he was enjoying being coddled by Inori. It brought him back to when he had lost his arm after being betrayed by his fellow schoolmates. He had been utterly depressed at the time and Inori was the only one who was by his side to take care of him. Which reminded him…

"Thank you."

"Hm?" her adorably confused expression made his smile widen even more.

"For back then… when I lost my arm and you took care of me. Being fussed over like this reminded me that I never said my appreciation for you staying by my side during that time. Even though, during that time you were going through so much pain as well."

Inori stared at him for a moment before she smiled back at him.

"No, Shu was the one who was suffering. I wanted to be beside you. Don't you remember what I said before? I've developed so many feelings, feelings I never even knew before I met you. They're all thanks to you. Even if everyone calls you a liar… even if you hate yourself…"

"… You'll always be by my side." Shu finished for her.

He smiled wistfully at her as a look of endearment was shared between the two. The space between was slowly thinning and before long the two shared a tender kiss. They eventually had to part, albeit both reluctantly. Shy glances were shared by the both of them before Shu broke the touching silence.

"W-We better start packing these canned foods and rations." Inori pouted in disappointment at Shu's words. Shu frowned at her reaction. When she moved to back away he quickly caught her hands.

"Inori… when we're somewhere safe… we can be as i-intimate as much as we want." Shu could literally feel the heat of the blush on his face. Inori herself had flushed red at his words. She replied by giving him a quick chaste kiss on the lips before turning away to get to work.

It wasn't long before they were making their way to the vehicle bay. Fortunately enough they didn't find any grimm on the path back up. They had probably killed off most of the creatures on the ground floor but Shu doubted it. Probably the most uncomfortable thing was the fact that the closer they got to the vehicle bay, the colder and colder it got. The walls along the way were even more frosted over then other parts of the facility, almost as if they were in some big freezer. When they arrived at the vehicle bay, they found out why. The main gate, or what used to be a gate, had an enormous hole in the middle of it. There were even medium sized holes on several spots of the walls. Shu could see the outside and noted that it was as white as snow and in the middle of the night.

"Well, now we know why it's so cold."

Shu moved to one of the cars that were left in the bay. It was reminiscent of a military Humvee only coloured in white. He had thought it to be locked but was surprised when he easily opened the door. Sitting inside, Shu noted that there was no key hole for any car keys to start the vehicle.

"How do you even start this thing?"

He inspected the head unit where a medium sized screen was in place and found a plug stand similar to a phone docker right under it. Something clicked in his head and he tried to place in the tablet device he had been using as a map in the docker. Like a final piece to a puzzle the car lighted up in ready. The screen on the head unit turned on and the words **AVS** appeared in the middle.

"**Starting AVS (Automated Vehicular System). Scanning Scroll For Identification. Processing…"**

Shu couldn't help the satisfied grin that bloomed on his face. That grin quickly fell off with the machine's next few words.

"**Identification False. Activating Alarm System."**

"Shit."

The next second the car rang out its alarm system. The loud blaring noise reverberated and echoed across the large space of the bay. Shu cursed again as he tried to stop the alarm by pulling out the tablet that started this mess but found the device stuck to the contraption.

"Shu, what's wrong?!"

Inori's voice reached out to him through the noise and he tried his best to explain while failing to stop the alarm.

"This damn thing didn't recognize the tablet, causing the alarm to go off! I'm trying to pull it out but the damn thing's stuck!"

Inori gave a worried glance at Shu before a cold shiver ran down her spine. In the corners of her eyes, she saw shadows moving in the holes along the walls. Inori stared wide eyed as grimm started to slowly crawl out. It took a matter of seconds before they were completely surrounded. Shu gave a hard grunt before he finally pulled the tablet free which successfully cut off the alarm.

"Finally! Inori, I managed to-"

It looks like Shu finally noticed the terrible situation they were in. He slowly got out of the car and stood beside Inori. He tried to count how many they were facing. The grimm was so numerous it was as if they were surrounded by a blanket of darkness and being stared at by a hundred pairs of red glowing eyes.

"Shu, what do we do?"

"I don't think we can run from them. There's just too many."

"… Shu, use me."

"Huh?"

Inori took his right hand and placed it on her chest. Shu could feel her heart beating a mile a minute; a sign that she was growing increasingly nervous despite her calm face. So focused they were on each other that they didn't even took notice of the grimm that had started their charge.

"Use me."

Shu frowned at her demand. Truthfully he hadn't thought of using her void. He wasn't even sure if it was still there. But he couldn't think of a better solution then using the strongest void to end these monsters.

"Alright."

He pulled her close in a one armed embrace and dipped her back slightly so she was hanging on his arm. The grimm were already upon them, some almost two feet away with fangs and claws ready to eviscerate. The two lovers never broke their gaze away from each other even though a grisly death seemed imminent.

Then everything exploded in white.

The grimm were all blasted away as torrents of white and silver energy burst out in waves. Slowly, the white light lessened in intensity, revealing their once thought prey now armed with a weapon that spelled their doom. Shu stood with Inori by his side, the **Singer Sword** radiating with power in his hand. He gave the horde of grimm a cold hard stare before he swung. The grimm had no time to react as a silver wave of energy sliced them in half like a hot knife through butter. In one attack Shu had decimated almost all the grimm in front of him.

A lone brave grimm took its chance and struck from behind. Shu didn't even move as the grimm slammed head first into a blue glyph shield that materialized behind him. Shu turned swiftly and swung out, decimating another group of grimm that were unfortunate enough to be behind him. Shu gave a look around and saw that there was still a large amount of grimm surrounding them. He looked down at Inori who returned his gaze with a small nod before she wrapped her arms securely around his neck. In a feat of dexterity Shu leapt up into the air and swung his blade all around the bay, sending out waves upon waves of deadly silver energy. The grimm were dying like flies as they were felled into bits of chopped up pieces. Shu materialized a circular blue platform to land in the air before kicking off of it. He flew downwards and did an overhead chop onto a large bear like grimm which sliced it in two perfect halves.

Shu gave the area another once over and found that there was almost no grimm left alive. The ones that were had smartly ran away. What started as a dire situation was over in a matter of minutes. Shu took a moment to stare at the **Singer Sword**. It really did own up to the title of strongest void. His eyes then caught something rather peculiar.

"I'm… glowing?"

A white aura of some sort covered his body. No, it was more like _he_ was producing it.

"Shu…"

Inori's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She sounded so tired. Shu cast a worried glance at her and saw that she had a drained look to her. Her eyes were half lidded and her skin had somehow gotten paler.

"Inori, what's wrong?"

"I… feel a bit tired."

Tired was an understatement. Did pulling out her void take up so much of her energy? He had made sure to be as gentle as possible so as to not hurt her in the process. He glanced down at the sword and then back to Inori.

"Maybe…"

Shu wasted no time and willed the sword back to its rightful place. He saw the sword disintegrate into wisps of silver before traveling back inside Inori's chest. Immediately he could see her condition getting better. What surprised him however, was when a thin pink aura appeared around her before disappearing a moment later. It didn't escape him how similar it looked to his white aura. Speaking of which, he checked himself and saw that it had disappeared as well.

"… Mmm… what happened?"

"Looks like me pulling out your void drained you of your energy, Inori. You got better when I returned it. I think it's best we don't rely on it too much until its necessary." Inori gave a small nod in understanding. Shu gently let her go as she steadily stood back on her feet. He turned back to the car that caused all this mess and frowned.

"We can't use the car unless we find the right device to excess it." Shu fished out the tablet and scrutinized it.

"… maybe using a security guards tablet would do the trick." Searching around the place, they were lucky enough to find a corpse nearby with another tablet in its pocket.

"Alright, I hope this works." Placing the device inside, the car booted up like before.

"**Starting AVS (Automated Vehicular System). Scanning Scroll For Identification. Processing…**

…

…

**Identification Approved. Engines Ready."**

As if to prove its point the engine suddenly roared to life. Shu shuffled through the **AVS **and found a map detailing destinations to travel to.

"Where should we go?"

That question made Shu pause.

"I… don't know Inori."

The second he said that Shu felt like hitting himself. It was obvious that they needed to get as far away as possible. But that begs the question of how far is far? And did they even have the fuel or enough supplies to make the journey? They didn't even know if where they were going was safe or as deadly as this facility.

All these question and he just couldn't find an answer.

"Then it doesn't matter."

"Huh?" Shu stared at Inori who seemed to have read his uneasiness.

"It doesn't matter where we go… because we will still be together." The steadfast look she was giving him had washed away any doubt in his mind.

That's right.

Their destination did not matter. As long as they had each other, then everything is fine.

"Computer… get us out of here."

The machine responded in kind by starting to move. It wasn't long before they were outside in the open white fields of snow and trees with the facility far away behind them. Shu had reclined back his seat so he could relax. The scenery of endless snow was suddenly obscured by Inori. His pink haired lover had crossed over to his seat to settle on his lap and cuddle up to him. Shu smiled as he moved his arms around her.

It was a long journey to nowhere, might as well get comfortable.

* * *

**AN: Well that's a wrap! How did you all like this new version of LAR? I'll tell you now that it's going to be a few chapters before we get to the home building like I promised but we'll get there. Anyway, leave a review so I know your opinions. Don't be afraid to flame the heck out of me XD**

**This has been a story brought to you by KitsuneLovers94. Have a nice day!**


	2. Prologue 2

**AN: Hello everyone, I'm back from the dead. Sorry it took me 9 months to finish this. All I can say is that studying Engineering is a bloody time consumer. I won't make this long since honestly I have nothing much to say. This chapter just took so much of not only just me, but my editor as well. I even lost one editor in the process. XD**

**So I hope you enjoy this. Have a nice read!**

* * *

**Prologue 2: Home**

The cold chill in the air made his body shiver with the wind.

The silence of the forest gave off an eerie atmosphere.

He could see his prey in the distance, ignorant of any immediate danger.

He readied the bow in his hands, slowly pulling the string back and steadying his aim.

He held his breath and his form.

It was now or never.

With the simple release of his fingers the arrow flew through the air and made its mark…

In the bark of a tree just a foot away from the deer he was aiming to kill.

"_Kuso!_" (_Shit!_)

Seeing the deer run for its life, he sighed and resigned himself to defeat. Not a second later he saw another arrow fly past him, striking the deer in the neck. He stared in disbelief at the now dead animal lying in the snow before sighing. As he turned to the one responsible, he gave her a tired but grateful smile.

"You know I won't get any better at this if you keep helping me out." His companion tilted her head in response.

"But it was getting away." He wanted to argue but he knew it was pointless when it came to her quiet logic. Instead, he got up and made his way to their kill. He took a moment to remove the arrow before hog tying the deer for easy carrying.

"I think it's time we faced the fact that I'm never gonna be good with this bow. From now on you can do the hunting while I do the cooking." His companion cutely stared at him with her doe red eyes.

"Are you upset?"

He shook his head in a negative, "No, but my pride as a guy took a big hit-"

A twig snapping nearby made the two tense up. They slowly turned to the general direction of the sound. They could see several pairs of red eyes glowing in the dark of the forest. Slowly, those eyes crept closer and into the light, revealing them to be monsters made of darkness and bone.

Grimm.

A sardonic smile made its way onto his face as he regarded the pack of Beowolves approaching them, "And thus the hunters become the hunted." His companion made to reach for the guns holstered to her sides but he placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"It's alright. I'll take care of this. Can't have you doing all the hard work today." She stared up at him with some concern before nodding. He stepped forward and reached for the sword to his side before pulling it out. The glint of steel halted the Grimm in their steps, their sense of danger flaring for a moment. The sword was simple in appearance, with a normal double edged blade and a T-shaped cross guard.

"Alright, let's get this over with." He made to make the first move but a shout from behind halted him.

"Shu!"

He turned back to her and felt his breath stuck in his throat. Her beautiful ruby red eyes were filled with longing, a silent message in them that only he could see.

_Make it quick, I'm hungry._

Shu let out an exasperated sigh even when he heard Inori's stomach rumble from a distance. He turned back to give the gathered Grimm a tired gaze.

"The things I do for love."

* * *

"Alright if we go here… no, that won't work. What about… no, we'll waste twice as much time if we take this route…"

Shu glared at the map in his hands, his fingers running down possible routes to take while his mind wrestled with the pros and cons of each. After another minute of contemplating he finally gave up and sighed in frustration.

"Argh, this is getting us nowhere."

He slid down from the large rock he had been sitting on and leaned his back to it. He stared at the campfire in front of him, the main source of light and warmth during the night. The two traveling lovers were currently in a small alcove where they made camp. They had eaten their dinner and were now doing their own things, with Shu marking a route for the following day and Inori in their tent, cleaning herself up.

Shu looked out of the alcove and up to the night sky where stars and the shattered moon illuminated the night sky. It was a miraculous sight, the moon broken in pieces, whereas he was more familiar when it was whole and round.

"But the moon's just another proof is all… proof that we're on another world."

It had been almost a month now since Shu and Inori had awoken in this world, the world of Remnant. Their escape from the ruined science facility had led them to a settlement where they learned of the situation and the world they had found themselves in.

Remnant was a vastly different world then Earth. For one, the world was plagued by monsters called Grimm, the same kind of black creatures they fought before. Mankind was not on the top of the food chain and because of that the structure of the world was more catered to fighting and survival then civil expansion. Normal people were armed for their own safety and society was built on unsteady lands where in any moment their homes could be attacked and destroyed by Grimm.

Shu and Inori had been forced to adapt to their surroundings, having to learn various ways to survive such as hunting and cooking. There was also the need for money as Remnants currency was different from Earth, using a universal currency called Lien. They had taken odd jobs to earn some money to purchase supplies and weaponry. By the time they were stable enough to leave the settlement it had already been near two weeks. From there the two had been on a journey to find any clues on a way back to Earth.

"Not much luck there since no one has ever heard of an Earth or Japan. Yet some people say that there are Asian styled foods like sushi in the capital city. What the heck does that even mean?" Shu let out another frustrated grunt as he ran a hand through his hair.

"_Doushita, Shu?" (What's wrong, Shu?)_

Shu leaned back and looked up into the beautiful red eyes of his lover, who was gazing down at him with a curious look. Her clean white skin glowed in the moonlight while her exotic pink hair fluttered gently due to the wind. Her bulky winter coat was nowhere to be seen, leaving her in her red jumper that hugged her figure comfily. All in all, she was as radiant as ever.

"Inori… uhh… you're done with your bath?"

"Mm."

Cleaning oneself out in the wilderness was a somewhat tedious albeit simple process. Since there aren't any places to take proper baths the two were forced to clean themselves by use of wet cloths.

"It was uncomfortable reaching my back by myself. Shu should help like before."

A rising blush reached his cheeks and his ears as his mind played back mental images of some of their more intimate moments. Sometimes it was hard to reach some spots on ones back so the both of them helped each other in that regard. It was a traditional Japanese practice to wash each other's back and it was a much more convenient way to save on water and time. At least that's what Shu tried to tell himself to lessen his perverted guilt.

"I-I had a lot on my mind. N-Next time, Inori."

"Ok."

Inori moved to plop herself at his side before leaning into him. Shu was briefly dazed at the feel and smell of her still wet hair against his cheek as she nuzzled into his shoulder.

'_We don't even have any conditioner, how does she make her hair smell so nice?'_

"Shu?"

"Uuuh… yes, Inori?"

"You haven't answered me. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh… it's nothing you have to worry about. I'm just… overthinking things like usual." Shu almost winced when Inori just stared at him even harder. He knew his excuse wouldn't hold up but he honestly didn't want to talk about his doubts. He knew though that if she insisted he wouldn't be able to say no to her.

"Tell me… I want to know."

This time he did wince. Her eyes were staring up at him, wide and inviting. Shu could literally feel his resolve cracking as the seconds go by.

'_Not the eyes, anything but the eyes! I think… maybe its ok if I-NO! No Shu, you have to be strong. You can't let her have her way all the time!'_

He chewed the inside of his cheek in mild frustration, "Inori, I really-"

"_Onegai_." _(Please.)_

Her voice snaked itself in his ear and melted his brain. The way that one single word just dripped with want and need, it was sending shivers down his spine.

'_Darn it, that's cheating! I can't refuse if you beg!'_

Shu stayed silent as long as he could until the guilt finally won out.

"Alright, alright, stop giving me those sad doe eyes. You know I can't say no when you do that."

Shu could have sworn he saw a cheeky twinkle in Inori's eyes as he caved. He had the feeling she knew that he was completely wrapped around her finger. He let out a long sigh as he resigned himself and gathered his thoughts.

"… I'm… having doubts about our journey…

The past few weeks we've been searching up and down, place to place for answers on how to get back to Japan. Not a single person we've met could give us an answer and the only hint is that somewhere in the capital city they sell Asian food. We can't get inside the city without proper papers and even if we did what if that 'Asian food' turned out to be false?

Not to mention there are other nations and continents to search through. We could be spending months if not years just trying to find even a hint of a way home."

Shu paused to stare at the rolled up map in his hands, his mind going through the amount of land they need to cover and the amount of time it would take.

"Also… this world is dangerous. Everywhere we went there was some form of Grimm lurking about. If we continue our search we would have to go through even more of those monsters. That means more and more fighting."

His grip on the map had become tighter and tighter causing it to crumple and bend. Inori laid a hand on his arm making him loosen his grip, releasing the now crumpled map to the ground.

"Everyday… moving, searching and fighting… I… don't want that life for us."

Silence followed the end of his speech, the world having gone quiet as if in response to the young man's words. Inori stared up at Shu's solemn face with a frown, the resignation in his voice made her heart ache for him. She needed to comfort him, to give him hope again. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his face so that he was staring back at her.

"Shu… what kind of life are you searching for?"

Shu contemplated her question for a moment, thinking hard on the answer to it. He reached up to the hand on his cheek, caressing it slowly before giving it a gentle squeeze.

"… A safe and good life…. a life where the two of us can be together in peace… a life where we could do the things we want to do and build a future together… but most of all… a life where you could be happy."

That was his desire.

His life revolved around the girl currently in his arms.

If he could make her happy, then he would be the happiest guy in the world.

"Then Shu… you already did it."

"Huh?"

Inori stared up at Shu with a smile, "When I'm with Shu, I'm already at peace. The only thing I want to do is be with you. I'm already happy, just having you by my side."

Her heartfelt words made him want to soar across the skies. He couldn't stop the urge to pull her closer in his lap and burying his face into the nape of her neck. Inori in response wrapped her hands around his neck, cradling his head in a loving embrace. It was a while before Shu finally pulled back so that the two could face each other.

"You really know the right words to make a guy happy. And that's saying something when it comes to you."

She pouted at his teasing to which he let out a small chuckle at. Shu briefly looked up at the starry night sky before a sudden thought flashed in his head. He looked back at Inori with an amused grin.

"Did you think of something?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, if we're accepting the fact that we're never gonna find a way home… then how about we find ourselves a new one?"

"A new one?"

"A new home, where we could spend the rest of our lives together. Think about it… we could stay in one place, find good jobs, make a future, spend each night in a comfy bed, we could-"

Shu's words were abruptly silenced when Inori suddenly captured his lips with her own. The kiss was so deep and breathtaking that he was literally left in a daze when she finally pulled back.

"_Suki." (I love it.)_

Still reeling from the kiss, Shu shook his head and blinked owlishly at her, "Huh? Wa? Y-You mean the idea?"

"Yes."

Shu slowly matched her smile before placing his forehead against hers. He nuzzled her nose with his own causing her to let out a giggle.

"Alright. First thing tomorrow, we start our journey in search of our new home. A new home, for a new life."

* * *

"_Ne_ Shu, where are we going today?"

"There's a village not far from here. Once we get there and resupply we can think up on a plan on where we should go to settle down. I don't assume you'd like to make a home in this country, Inori?"

Inori shook her head in a negative at his suggestion, "No. This place is beautiful… but it's harsh and cold."

"I thought so too. Someplace where it's not cold almost all year round would be great. We wouldn't have to wear such thick clothing everyday if it was warmer." While the clothes they wore were warm and comfortable it was still a hassle to move around in.

"Mmm… I miss wearing a camisole."

The thought of Inori's old black camisole dress with red ribbons made Shu smile in nostalgia, "Yeah, I miss that too…"

Shu's face immediately reddened as he realized he had let his thoughts slip out of his mouth.

"I-I mean… w-what I meant to say was… uh… y-you looked great in your old dress a-and uh…" his rambling and jumbled words just made it more and more embarrassing for him. He turned to look at her and found her demurely looking down and away from him.

Inori slowly looked back up to him; her face flushed red and glowing, "If Shu wants… I'll dress in those kinds of clothes as much as you want."

Shu swore he felt steam come out of his ears and his face going nuclear from the amount of blood rushing up to his head.

"_O-Onegaishimasu…" (I-I'm in your care…)_

The couple had descended into a lulling silence after such an awkward moment. It was a while later before Shu broke the quiet atmosphere.

"The village should be just up ahead. We should be able to see it from over this hill-"

His words died out on him as his mouth fell open in shock at the sight before him. Inori had her hand over her mouth as she gazed forward in dread.

The village they had been searching for looked devastated. From where they stood they could see collapsed walls, ruined buildings and debris covered roads.

Shu grimaced and clenched his hands into tight fists, "Come on, we should check for survivors."

They quickly made their way down to the village front as fast as they could. The village gates were lying flat on the ground, with claw marks and dents littering all over its surface. Similar markings and beast like foot prints were scattered everywhere.

"Shu…"

"I know."

It was obvious enough what had happened to the village. A large scale Grimm attack must have occurred overnight.

"Let's look around, there might still be-"

"Hold it right there!"

Shu and Inori immediately froze as a man appeared from the side of a building holding a rifle. He was dressed in grey body armor that covered his upper torso and arms with black fatigues and boots. Most of his face except for his mouth was covered by a protective helmet. All in all he looked like a soldier from one of those futuristic films back on Earth.

"Stay where you are and don't move!"

Shu narrowed his eyes at the soldier and stood his ground. He could hear Inori palming her guns, ready to take action but he motioned for her to stop.

"Don't. We're here to investigate, not to start a fight."

The soldier was now a good distance in front of them, a nervous frown on his face but on steady feet.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"… We're just travelers. We were headed to this village but saw the state it was in from up a hill. We came down just to check and see if there are any survivors in need of help."

The soldier took a moment to digest his words. It seemed he was not that convinced.

"Common sense would tell you to head the other way when you see a village in this state. You could have been attacked by Grimm that were still around."

"My companion and I are more than capable when it comes to handling Grimm." Shu said this while gesturing to the sword strapped to his side, hidden under his cloak. It seems this only made the guard more nervous as he took a more rigid stance while tightening his grip on his rifle. Noticing this, Shu moved his hand up in a placating manner.

"Relax, it's only for protection."

"… Are you two… hunters by any chance?" Shu looked slightly confused at the assumption but shook his head in a negative. The soldier frowned further at his answer before mumbling that it would be too convenient if they were. Shu decided they had wasted enough time already and made to convince the man.

"… Look, we could stand out here in the cold playing twenty questions all day but I'm sure you have better and more important things to do. Just take my word that all we want to do is help." The soldier did not respond immediately but soon lowered his rifle.

"Alright, you don't look like trouble, and you're right I don't have all day. The survivors are in the middle of the village. I'll take you there myself."

Shu relaxed slightly at his words before motioning Inori to put back her guns. She gave him an anxious look but holstered her guns anyway. The two followed their armed guide to the center of the village. Along their way the number of soldiers they could spot increased in number making for an intimidating sight. As they got closer they finally found some villagers, but they looked worse for wear. They all had a dark look on their face, emotions ranging from sadness, anger and despair.

"They all look so sad." said Inori.

"I would expect so. Each and every one of them had just survived a Grimm attack. Their homes have been destroyed and most lost someone precious to them. It's never a good sight to see."

"Have you seen a lot? These Grimm attacks I mean." asked Shu.

"A few. Grimm usually target small settlements like these but they come in small packs so the local enforcement can handle it easy enough. Last night though… it wasn't an ordinary attack. A whole horde of them came rushing in out of nowhere. We, the Atlas response unit, almost didn't make it in time to save them."

"How'd they manage to survive then?"

"These people were lucky. A huntsman was in the village during the time and managed to beat back most of the Grimm. He stalled those beasts long enough for us to get here. Granted the nearest military base is a ways away so it was a miracle he managed to last that long while keeping so many alive. He must be a real pro."

"What happen to the huntsman?"

"Nobody knows. The villagers say he disappeared by the time we reached here. A shame that we couldn't meet up with him though, would have bought him a drink." The talking died down after that. Shu mulled over what had been said, specifically about the Grimm and the huntsman.

It was known fact that Grimm are attracted to one thing, negativity. Sadness, despair, anger, fear… these are all common things that call the Grimm. Large Grimm attacks are common, but not common enough that it could happen so suddenly. Small villages like these have a strict code when it comes to sad news. Deaths and tragedies are made known to the village guards so they can increase their efficiency during such moments. Events and celebrations are made to brighten the atmosphere to keep the gloom down. A Grimm attack of a large scale happening so suddenly and overnight meant something major must have attracted the Grimm.

And then there's the huntsman.

Huntsmen are warriors trained to fight off the Grimm. Most would call them professional monster killers. Some say that a single huntsman is worth fifty to a hundred soldiers but that could just be exaggeration. Shu and Inori had never seen a huntsman before so the chance to meet one was a bit exciting. Going by the soldier's story this huntsman was extremely good. A single person managing to fight off a whole horde of Grimm and even save the lives of most of the villagers spoke volumes of his caliber. It could also mean he had a lot of time to prepare for such an event. If that were the case though…

Did the huntsman _know_ that there was going to be an attack?

* * *

Shu grunted as he moved a collapsed wooden post out of the way. He searched through a pile of rubble and smiled when he found a brown teddy bear with a red scarf around its neck.

"Found you."

A moment later he exited the ruined house and approached a family patiently waiting outside. He moved to kneel in front of a little girl who stared at him with anxious eyes. Shu smiled before presenting her with his findings.

"I believe this is yours."

The girl's eyes widened in joy as she snatched the teddy bear from his hand and hugged it close. Shu chuckled at the sight only to gasp slightly in surprise when the girl suddenly hugged him tight around his neck.

"Thank you!"

He smiled and returned the hug briefly before letting go.

"Thank you for helping my daughter. I swear she wouldn't have let us leave until we found her bear." said the mother.

"It's not a problem. Do you need any help moving your luggage?"

"Oh no, we can handle these bags ourselves, but thank you for the offer." The father replied. He motioned for his wife and daughter to move.

"Come on then, wouldn't want to be late, less the airships leaves us here."

The wife looked unsure at her husband, "Dear, are you sure about this? Abandoning our home…"

Understanding his wife's plight, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know… but what choice do we have? Better to be safe in the capital then stay here and be attacked by Grimm. Besides, I'm sure the government will find a way to take back our village. We just have to wait and pray for the best."

He turned to regard Shu with a tired smile, "Thanks again lad for helping us, we owe you one. If we ever meet again, and you're in need of helping of your own, come to us so we can return the favor. Till then, hope you stay safe." With the conversation over the family moved for their next destination. The little girl waved back at Shu as they left.

"Bye-bye!"

Shu smiled and waved back before looking pass them. A couple of large airships could be seen near the village gates. Shu turned to look around him to find several other families getting ready to abandon their homes as well. All of them had sullen looks of sadness and regret as they gave their homes one last look before leaving.

Shu sighed and clenched his hands in frustration, "…This is all just too pitiful."

This whole situation started about an hour ago.

_(One hour earlier)_

_Shu and Inori stood against the side of a building facing the village square. There was an announcement that a military official will address the populace on what was their next move. Everyone in the village had gathered and was now waiting for the official to arrive. They didn't have to wait long._

_Expecting a hard looking military man, Shu was surprised when a young woman mounted the podium. She had white hair like snow made into a bun with her bangs partially covering the right side of her face. Her light blue eyes held a coldness in them that made her look serious and regal. Dressed in a white motif uniform that gave off a sense of high rank, her whole look screamed of someone above the norm._

"_Greetings, my fellow Atlesians. My name is Winter Schnee. I am here to inform you on the decision the Atlas government has made regarding the state of Frostlake Village. Due to the rate of devastation and the poor condition the village was left in, it has been declared that all citizens be evacuated from the village and placed into Atlas capital refugee camps."_

_As soon as the news broke out almost all the villagers roared out in outrage._

"_That can't be!"_

"_You want us to abandon our homes?!"_

"_What about our belongings, our livelihoods?!"_

"_We can't just run away!"_

"_Why aren't you staying here to protect us?!"_

"_Screw this-"_

"_**ENOUGH!**__"_

_The command was sharp and clear. Like a blizzard blowing its way through the chaos. Everyone went silent as the dead as the white haired woman glared at them with eyes as cold as her name sake._

"_I understand your plight, but know that this decision is not refutable. Atlesian airships will be arriving shortly for evacuation and pick up. You may bring your belongings with you but only as much as you can carry. Overabundance will not be tolerated. You have until sundown before the airships will leave for the capital."_

_Everyone was grim-faced by the end of her speech. Shu himself was feeling the frustration in waves. A single old man walked up from the crowd, his eyes wizened with age as he stared up at Winter._

"_And if we refuse to leave?"_

_The military woman stared down at the old man, her beautiful face marred with a deep frown._

"_You may stay and live out your life. But know that the government cannot afford to expend any additional resources to protect this village."_

_Winter paused to let the full meaning of what she said sink in._

"_Run and live… or stay and fight on your own. The choice is yours."_

_(End Flashback)_

"Shu."

Shu blinked and turned to Inori. She looked at him with worry as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"Just contemplating what that woman said before."

"The white haired one?"

"Yeah… it just seems so cold of her to say all that. I know she was just carrying out her orders… but the way she worded them, it was as if these people had no choice in the matter."

He could still imagine her cold, steely blue eyes just staring everyone down. It made her look so robotic, incapable of feeling any sympathy.

"Haah… not like complaining about it is going to do any good. How's everything on your end, Inori?"

Inori frowned slightly at his question, "I helped as much as I could, but…"

"What's wrong?"

Instead of answering she pointed down the road, specifically to a lone house near the end. They could see a young man heatedly talking to an old man who was sitting down in front of a house. As Inori led Shu towards the bickering duo, they could hear the conversation between the two.

"I told you I'm not leaving."

"And I told you if you don't leave you'll die here!"

"If that happens so be it."

"Argh, grandpa, come on!"

Shu decide now would be the best time to cut in, "Excuse me, is everything alright?"

His sudden interjection caused the younger of the two men to jump in surprise, "Oh! A-Are you with the military? I-If so I'm sorry for the delay! My grandpa is just-"

Shu held up his hands to calm the man down, "Relax. It's alright, we're not with the military."

"O-Oh… then who are you?"

"We came to this village earlier today and saw the state it was in. We just couldn't stand by without at least checking for survivors. We've already helped a few families leave for the airship."

"I see… well… thanks for the help I guess. I-If you don't mind, could you help convince my grandpa to leave with me? He's being so stubborn right now."

"Don't bother trying lad, I won't leave." interjected the old man.

Shu turned to the old man and paused as he recognized him, "You're the one who stood up in front of the crowd."

The old man regarded him with a heavy stare, "So you noticed. Everyone was pissing their pants the second that little white haired lass got angry. All I saw was a little girl just throwing her voice around."

"… You know that if you don't leave this place you won't have anyone to protect you. At any moment the Grimm _will_ come back."

"I am well aware of that."

"Then why stay here?"

"Because this is my home. Frostlake has been home to my family since my own grandfather helped built this village. It's stood against blizzards and Grimm of all kinds. No matter how many times this place has been hit, it and its people have stood strong. Just look around, lad."

The three young adults looked around them and were surprised at what they had not noticed before. There were still a number of families that stayed behind, all doing something to salvage or fix their homes. He could even see families coming back from the road that lead outside to the airships. Leading the way was a familiar little girl holding onto a teddy bear with a red scarf. Shu turned back to the old man and saw in his eyes something he hadn't noticed beforehand.

Resolution

"This is our home, and we will not abandon it so easily."

* * *

Shu stood silent in thought as he stared at the scene before him. Villagers helping each other out as they resolutely chose to stay and protect their home. It made him happy to know that hope still stood strong in their hearts.

"They all look glad to stay behind." said Inori from his side.

"Yeah well, nobody wants to lose their home. We know that better than anyone." Shu frowned as his thoughts turned to the darker side of all this.

"But if we don't do something soon, they might not survive the next day. Sundown will be coming soon and by then the military would leave the villagers to fend for themselves."

"Shu, are we going to help them?" He turned to stare at Inori and he had the feeling that she already knew his answer.

"Yeah… It isn't right if we abandon this village while we are searching for a new home. It's bad karma. The big problem now is where to start. Can't just stay here and beat back the Grimm day in day out. I mean we could, but something tells me that won't stop it permanently. If only someone could just give us a hint-"

"E-Excuse me."

Shu and Inori turned to the one addressing them and found the grandson of the old man from before. The young man looked nervous so Shu regarded him with a smile.

"Hello again, do you need something from us?"

"Y-Yeah well… I was wondering if you two knew the huntsmen that saved our village last night."

"Sorry, but we don't. What made you think we did?"

"Well I-I thought that seeing that you two were also hunters… I thought that maybe you could uhh… track that guy down and convince him to stay and protect our village?"

"That's a really broad assumption… but we're not hunters."

The young man seemed to have not expected his answer, as he looked at Shu with utter shock and surprise, "W-Wait, you aren't?! But you're helping us out of your own free will and not being all stuck up and military about it! Isn't that what hunters do?!"

Shu couldn't help but awkwardly stare at the young man's exaggerated lines, "I'm sure there are more things to hunters then just being helpful to anyone in need… but let's get back on point. How would we even find the huntsman who saved your village in the first place? We don't even know where to start looking."

"Oh, well I actually know where he went and disappeared to."

"…. You do?"

"Yeah, I was lucky enough to see where he went after the military suddenly showed up. He went chasing after the Grimm in that general direction. It's on the way to the old forest behind our village."

Shu turned to where the young man was pointing at and sure enough he could see in the distance a large forest in the opposite direction of where the village was facing.

Shu couldn't help but think this whole situation seemed too convenient though. He felt like a game character who was just given a quest by an NPC. (Non-player character)

Cliché, if he had to word it better.

* * *

"This place really gives me the creeps."

The two had just entered the forest not a short moment ago. Tall trees loomed over them, denying what little light that was cast by the late afternoon sun. The stiff silence seemed to permeate the forest, punctured only by the crunch of their boots. Shu couldn't help but be unnerved by the dark and silent atmosphere.

"Shu, are you scared?"

"Scared? Not-"

"_CAW!"_

"Shit!"

Shu almost jumped out of his skin as he looked up and glared at the sudden appearance of a crow above him. The feathered creature stood perched on a tree and seemed to have taken notice of him as it started to stare back. Shu swore he saw a glint of amusement flash in its beady little eyes.

"Shu?"

"O-Oh… uh… ok, maybe I'm a _bit_ scared."

"_AHO!"_

Shu cursed under his breath and resumed glaring at the bird which he knew was laughing at him. He turned away with a huff and continued his track with a bit of a stomp to his steps.

"Come on, Inori! We don't have all day to waste!"

"Ah, ok."

Their tracking through the forest eventually led them to a small clearing where it looked like a battle had taken place. Some trees had collapsed onto the ground while others had holes blasted through them. Shu noticed how the trees were severed too cleanly, as if they were brought down by a single stroke.

"This has got to be the huntsman's doing."

"Shu, look over here."

He turned to Inori and saw she had something in her hand. It looked like a metal cylinder of some sorts.

"What is that?"

"Shotgun shell. Twice the size of a normal twelve gauge. Casing is heavy, most likely to compensate for its larger size."

Shu couldn't help but be amazed at how quick and analytical Inori could get when it came to guns. It seems anything to do with firearms can make her instantly change.

"Shu, this seems freshly used. Someone was here before us."

"Most likely the huntsman. If we move fast enough we might be able to catch up to-"

_Snap!_

Shu quickly turned around. He scanned his surroundings, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword when he saw something shift in between the trees.

"Looks like we have company."

As if on cue, several Grimm started to appear from all around them, as if appearing from the shadows of the forest. He could see that not all of them were beowolves, there were also a couple of ursa mixed in as well.

"Well, looks like we're surrounded."

"Thirteen targets. Two tanks. No immediate opening for escape."

"Those are some terrible odds, but we've been through worse."

Shu unsheathed his sword. The sound of his blade seemed to have triggered something in the Grimm as they rushed them in a frenzy. Shu and Inori immediately dashed towards the closest group, cutting and shooting their way through.

"Harggh!"

A hard swing to his right and two beowolves were cut in half. A follow up swing to the left and another lost its head. He bent his leg back and swung upwards at one that leapt from above, bisecting it diagonally from side to shoulder.

"Shu!"

Shu turned to Inori and saw her running at him with two beowolves on her tail. He held his sword by the blade horizontally in front of him and braced himself. Inori quickly jumped and kicked off of his sword, back flipping above and behind the approaching Grimm before blasting their heads away with a couple of well-placed shots.

"Nice!"

Shu suddenly felt the ground shake as one of the two giant ursa came barreling through their comrades towards him.

"Uh-oh"

Shu quickly turned and ran the opposite way towards a tree, jumping onto and running up its side. Feeling himself lose momentum, Shu kicked off the tree and was now high above the ursa. He angled his blade downwards and plunged it into the beast's back. The beast flailed in pain and crashed itself into a tree and knocking Shu off. He quickly stood up and made to defend himself, but realized that the ursa was now dead against the tree, his sword stuck in its back. He was about to move to pull it out when he heard Inori call out to him. He turned and saw her running away from the other ursa while shooting back at it. It seems her bullets had no effect as the beast seemed to just shrug them off. Shu quickly rushed to get to her side but a few beowolves moved to intercept him.

"Damn it, out of the way!"

Shu grit his teeth as he pulled back his right hand and swung at the nearest beast. His arm glowed bright silver just before meeting its masked face. The impact made a large crunch as his fist shattered the beast's mask, and probably skull. He plowed through the remaining Grimm with shear force and broke through.

"RRRaaaarrrrgghh!"

With adrenalin pumping in his veins and his fist cocked back, Shu rammed into the ursa's side like a battering ram. The ursa roared in pain as it was sent tumbling to the side, its torso now caved in from the blow. Shu himself had bounced back from the force and rolled onto the ground. Inori rushed to his side and gently pushed him onto his back.

"Shu, are you ok?! Shu?!"

"Uuuuhh… remind me never to try that again."

Shu gave her a weak but cheeky smile to which Inori gave a sigh of relief. His smile quickly fell off his face as he grabbed onto her and pushed her flat on the ground.

"Look out!"

A beowolf came flying through the air, its teeth missing Inori just by a few inches if not for Shu's quick save. Inori quickly shot it in the head just as soon as it landed and turned around. The two quickly got back up and resumed facing the remaining Grimm, but found none left standing. Suddenly, they felt the ground under them shake. Shu and Inori turned and saw another wave of Grimm rushing at them from a distance.

"Where are they all coming from?!"

He could see that the wave almost double, if not triple the size of the group they just fought.

"Shu."

He turned to Inori and saw her hands placed on her chest. She looked up and stared into his eyes and he instantly knew what she was asking him for. He pulled her in close and was about to pull out her void when a new presence made itself known.

"Now's not the time to make a lovers suicide you two." Shu and Inori looked around them but found no one.

"Where?"

"Up here, kid."

They looked up and sure enough there was a man standing high above them on a tree branch. The man gave them a lopsided grin and a lazy two fingered salute before jumping down in front of them. He turned around to address them with a cocky swagger.

"Good job holding out, you two. Now take a break and leave it to the professional."

Shu regarded the man with a bit of apprehension as he took in his appearance. He had graying black, spiky hair, red eyes, a slight stubble along his jawline, a gray dress shirt with long coat tails, black dress pants and shoes, and a tattered red cloak. In his right hand was a large, single edged broad sword, with a bladed hand guard, a red hilt and a sharp pointed pommel.

"You can't just expect us to sit back while you handle _that _all on your own." said Shu as he pointed towards the ever closing wave of Grimm. The man just gave him a devilish smirk before turning his back to them.

"Trust me kid, I'll make this nice and quick."

With a sudden mechanical whir, his sword began to shift and change before their eyes. The blade separated into equal parts before extending and curving backwards. The handle extended from a normal sword hilt to a long curved pole. It had transformed from a large broadsword into a giant scythe.

"Let's rock."

Shu watched in awe as the man rushed up to meet the wave of Grimm and proceeded to cut them down into bits and pieces. His swings were so fast and swift it looked like he was moving in a blur. Before they knew it the fight was over and all the Grimm were dead and disappearing into thin air. The man walked back to them with a leisurely pace, as if coming back from a peaceful stroll.

"Ahhh… that was a good warm up."

"That was… how did you…"

"I told you kid, I'm a professional. So, uhh… what's a couple of kids like you doing in a dangerous, Grimm infested place like this?"

"Uhh… oh! We were sent to find you!"

The man looked confused at Shu, "Find me? For what?"

"The village you saved last night. They need you to come back and protect them."

"What? Isn't the military over there? Those uptight soldiers will protect them no problem."

"But not for long. They're abandoning the village by nightfall. Soon, those who stayed won't have anyone to protect them."

The man frowned at his words before cursing under his breath, "Oum damn it all. Alright kid, looks like you have some explaining to do so I'm all ears. But before that I'm guessing introductions are in order."

The man extended his hand to Shu with a lazy grin, "The name's Qrow, hunter extraordinaire, resident lady killer and the best Oum damned scythe-wielder in all of remnant. Nice to meet you."

* * *

**AN: Alright, what do you all think? I know it wasn't the best of my work but its expected since I haven't been writing for a while now. Please review and criticize as much as you want.**

**For those of you concerned about the pacing of the story, worry not. This chapter and the chapter following it will be the last of the prologue arc. By chapter 4 we'll be in Vale. I promise.**

**What I won't promise is the deadline of the next chapter though. I'm sorry if you might have to wait till the end of the year but that's how life goes I guess. I just don't want to keep your hopes up if you're still expecting fast updates. I think by now most of you know my updating speed.**

**So in the end, review or pm me your thoughts, and I will see you again next time. Kitsunelovers, out!**


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